[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 6, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E393-E394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING COAST GUARD AUXILIARY CLEARWATER FLOTILLA 11-1'S 75TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 6, 2025

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Coast Guard 
Auxiliary Clearwater Flotilla 11-1's 75th Anniversary. The U.S. Coast 
Guard Auxiliary was established by Congress to support the Coast Guard 
with its boat safety mission. Clearwater Flotilla 11-1's service to the 
Clearwater area predates the Coast Guard's presence in the city. Today, 
though, the Auxiliary provides direct and continuing support to Coast 
Guard Air Station Clearwater and to Coast Guard Station Sand Key. This 
June, the Clearwater Flotilla 11-1, celebrates its 75th anniversary of 
service to the boating public throughout the Tampa Bay area. The Coast 
Guard Auxiliary and Flotilla 11-1 provide invaluable support to the 
active-duty Coast Guard through a variety of non-law enforcement 
programs. These include search and rescue missions, marine 
environmental patrols, youth programs, public education and safety 
patrols. Additionally, their missions include search and rescue ``call 
outs'', back up marine radio coverage and near short patrols as part of 
the America's Waterway Watch Program. As the Coast Guard's homeland and 
national security responsibilities continue to expand, the men and 
women of the Auxiliary have stepped up to increase their port security 
patrols to provide for the defense of our Nation's and in our case 
Florida's coastline and waterways.
  Last year, the Flotilla 11-1 members volunteered more than 9,100 
hours in support of the Coast Guard. The group conducted ten boating 
safety education classes with more than 200 graduates, including over 
100 children ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade. The group also 
performed almost 150 Vessel Safety Checks to ensure recreational 
boaters have all the safety gear they need to be legal and safe and 
conducted more than 175 Recreational Boating Safety Program Visits to 
boat equipment stores, marinas, and harborages to improve public 
safety. Flotilla 11-1 Clearwater operates under the leadership of Karen 
Miller, Commander, and Betsy Scott, Vice-Commander. The Flotilla 11-1's 
officers include: Jeff Otto--Communication Services, Debbie Mallory--
Finance, Steve Bushnell-Fowler--Human Resources, Karen Miller--
Information Services, Public Affairs, and Public Education, Joe 
Garisto--Materials, Mavrick Putnam--Marine Safety and Environmental 
Protection, Lisa Repetto--Publications and Recreational Boating Safety 
Program Visitations, Gerard Gaudry--Navigation Systems,

[[Page E394]]

Tim Dolan--Operations and Rescue and Survival Systems, Mark Kolupa--
Secretary/Records, and Andre Skoinezny--Vessel Examinations. It is my 
hope that my colleagues will join me in thanking the men and women of 
Clearwater Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-1 for their 75 years of 
service to our community and for a job well done.

                          ____________________